know-how

UK/ˈnəʊ.haʊ/Northumbria/ˈnaː.huː/US/ˈnoʊ.haʊ/

noun

The knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).

“Marlo has the know-how to fix your computer.”

Similar
expertisesavoir-faire
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Meanings

nounknow-how (uncountable)

alternative knowhow

  1. uncountableThe knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).

    Marlo has the know-how to fix your computer.

    2 more examples

    Today this situation has — at least in theory — been reversed in a startling way because the main source of wealth is no longer natural resources but scientific knowledge and technological know-how that has been accumulated incrementally since the advent of civilization.

    1989, L. S. Stavrianos, Lifelines from Our Past: A New World History, New York: Pantheon Books, page 237

    American innovators — with their world-class strengths in product design, marketing and finance — may have a historic opportunity to convert the scientific know-how from abroad into market gains and profits. Mr. Hill views the transition to “the postscientific society” as an unrecognized bonus for American creators of new products and services.

    2008 April 20, G. Pascal Zachary, “How Scientific Gains Abroad Pay Off in the U.S.”, in New York Times

    Synonyms: expertise, savoir-faire

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).

Similar
expertisesavoir-faire
Also see
moxiesavoir-faire

Origin

Deverbal from know how. American English, 1838.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دِرَايَة, بَرَاعَة
  • دِرَايَة (dirāya)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • بَرَاعَة (barāʕa)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • مَهَارَة (mahāra)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • حِذْق (ḥiḏq)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Bulgarian умение, вещина
  • умение (umenie)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • вещина (veština)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • ноу-хау (nou-hau)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Chinese Mandarin 技巧, 技能
  • 技巧 (jìqiǎo)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • 技能 (jìnéng)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • 知識 /知识 (zhīshi)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Danish sagkundskab, know-how
  • sagkundskabthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Esperanto scipovo
  • scipovothe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Estonian oskusteave
  • oskusteavethe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Finnish tietotaito, know-how
  • tietotaitothe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • osaaminenthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
French savoir-faire
  • savoir-fairethe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
German Fachwissen, Sachkenntnis
  • Fachwissenthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • Sachkenntnisthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • Know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Greek τεχνογνωσία
  • τεχνογνωσία (technognosía)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Hindi व्यवहार-ज्ञान
  • व्यवहार-ज्ञान (vyavhār-jñān)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Italian conoscenza, sapere fare
  • conoscenzathe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • sapere farethe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Japanese ノウハウ
  • ノウハウ (nōhau)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Korean 노하우
  • 노하우 (nohau)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Persian مهارت, دانش
  • مهارت (mahârat)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • دانش (dâneš)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Polish know-how
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Portuguese saber-fazer, savoir-faire
  • saber-fazerthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • savoir-fairethe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Russian ноу-ха́у
  • ноу-ха́у (nou-xáu)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Spanish know-how, saber hacer
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • saber hacerthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • noujáuthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • know howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Swedish sakkunskap, know-how
  • sakkunskapthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
  • know-howthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Thai โนว์ฮาว
  • โนว์ฮาวthe knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly
Ukrainian ноу-ха́у
  • ноу-ха́у (nou-xáu)the knowledge and skill to be able to do something correctly

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with know-how

snow-how
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

nohow
Cite this entry
APA

know-how. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know-how

MLA

“know-how.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know-how. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “know-how,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know-how.

Source: know-how on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.